Localism : an attempt at a sociological interpretation

Abstract

The downfall of real socialism and the decay of the central institutions of the communist state in Poland prompts to deliberation on the future fate of the country and its essential restructuring. In this debate stress is frequently laid on the potential role of the local and regional communities in the development processes. This singling out of the postulated actors of social change is by no means accidental. For more than a dozen years how it was possible clearly to discern worldwide the symptoms of the “renascence of localism and regionalism,” signs of revolutionary alignment of ethnic and religious minorities and also radicalization of separatist movements. Among many social groups and individual persons is observed a positively ostentations return to traditional local and regional values and also historical institutions, customs and habits. In other words, while people are becoming citizens of the world they remain still affiliated to the “personal homeland” and the unique social community, nostalgic place shaping their personality. The home village, township, city or region, existing hie et nunc, is nearer to people than the amorphous, abstract, unintelligible and often basically foreign world or continent. Hence it may be said, with a large degree of certainty, transposing the slogan of Ernst F. Schumacher, that small and near — is beautiful, to be treated with pious care. (fragment tekstu)